Journeying To Where The Wild Things Are

Texan Maps Out First Book
On Eco-Tourism In Mexico
By Anthony Wright
August 20, 1996

Exploit the riches of the forest lightly, exploit the riches of the plains well, and take care of both.
CARLOS FUENTES, The Two Shores

Despite the repeated predictions of ecological doomsayers that the Earth would be transformed into a denuded wasteland by next century's end - or perhaps because of those predictions - the world and the governments of its nations have become more aware of the environment and the consequences of unwisely exploiting its resources.

Tourism has traditionally played its part in bringing people into contact with natural environments, but often increased commercial development in a natural area - which multiplies tourism and its harmful impact - has resulted in what environmental writer Ron Mader calls "killing the goose that laid the golden egg."

Mader, 32, formerly of Austin, Texas, was recently contracted by John Muir Publications to write what will be the first Mexican guidebook of its kind: Mexico: Adventures in Nature - a book solely devoted to "eco-tourism" destinations in Mexico.

Ecotourism (or ecotravel) is the current buzzword for a kind of low-impact tourist activity which is gaining favor among many of the world's travelers. This kind of traveler seeks beautiful, remote pales of nature, and doesn't need (or much less want) five-Star hotel accommodation, night clubs and KFCs upon arrival. Mader believes there are many such locations in Mexico, and he's going to show you how to get to them.

"There's a slew of travel books, academic works and photographic coffee table books on Mexico but there's nothing out there that deals exclusively with environmental tourism," Mader told The Mexico City Times in an exclusive interview last week. "And we're finding that more people want to visit eco-destinations."

John Muir Publications' most famous book is Carl Franz's People's Guide to Mexico, now enjoying its 25th year in print. It has also published three other guidebooks in the Natural Destination (now Adventures in Nature series, covering Costa Rica, Guatemala and Belize.

"Doesn't Mexico also have areas of endemic bio-diversity you can see?" Mader asks. "Mexico is the country that revolutionized and designed a park concept which protects the nucleus of biosphere reserves while using their perimeters for forestry, agriculture or tourism. The case has shown that tourism is one of the most benign forms of economic use of these environmental areas."

Mexico: Adventures in Nature will discuss what protected regions exist in Mexico, explain why they are protected; which areas are not national parks or biosphere reserves but are still beautiful places to visit; and provide directions and on how to get "where the wild things are."

The Mexican government tourism agency SECTUR is currently promoting eco-tourism destinations such as the Mundo Maya of the Yucatan peninsula; the Barranca Del Cobre (Copper Canyon) in Chihuahua; and the beautiful gypsum dunes and multi-colored pools of Cuatrocienegas in the state of Coahuila (featured in the August edition of Mexico Desconocido).

Mader will feature these and other destinations - roughly 20 in all - in his book, due for publication in early 1997.

"Sure, a lot of these places are most easily accessible if you have a car," Mader said. "On the other hand, I've never driven in Mexico. There are buses, there are guides. Mexico has the best sytem of bus transportation I've come across in Latin America. Traveling here is easy."

It may come as a surprise, but Mader considers Mexico City's own Xochimilco Reserve as one of the original forerunners of the eco-tourism mindset.

Xochimilco's "floating gardens," or chinampas, consist of raised planting platforms separated by water-filled canals. They are are seen as an alternative model of wetland development, and regarded as one of the most productive farming systems ever developed.

"In environmental terms, Xochimilco and its water gardens are the basilica of the environmental movement," Mader said. "It has now been sustaining populations of farmers for more than 500 years, and yet if it weren't for tourists visiting the place, the government would have no incentive to maintain it."

In fact, Xochimilco is described in this month's outstanding National Geographic - "Emerging Mexico, A Special Issue" - as a "park which protects singing crickets, wading cranes, and fragrant chamonile from urban encroachment."

Mader also cites the historical example of Costa Rica as influencing the Mexican government model to foster its eco-tourism niche - with projects like Quintana Roo's Sian Ka'An and El Cielo Biosphere Reserves - as part of a two-pronged tourism attack (the other being mega proyectos like Cancun and Huatulco).

The Costa Rica example began in the 1950s when a group of Quakers from the United States traveled down a pot-holed, decaying Pan American Highway to set up shop in the forests of Monte Verde.

The Quakers developed a number of land-level cottage industries - such as ranching and cheese-making - while keeping the tops of the hills forested as a water shed.

Time passed. People began visiting Monte Verde to commune with its countless hummingbirds, quetzals and gorgeous, variegated orchids. It is now protected as a private natural reserve, where the people who run Monte Verde protect the environment while making limited tourism and travel accessible.

"That's what I'm trying to find more of in Mexico," Mader said. "In terms of national strategy, eco-tourism was a buzzword in 1989 and it'll be a buzzword in 1999. The temptation is to create mega proyectos - but eco-tourism dictates building closer to the ground, closer to the community, to develop it as it comes along."

Mader was an environmental journalist in Mexico City for several years before turning freelance. He has since founded the newsletter El Planeta Platica and the Internet web site Eco Travels in the Americas (http://www.planeta.com).

The web site has been praised as a "veritable bible" by Green Arrow Guide, and "the foremost site online for environmentally-minded travelers" by Fodor's Travel; while the newsletter has received a four-star rating (the highest) from Travel World.

There is always the moral dilemna for any travel writer - ecotravel or otherwise - that, once he has alerted readers to a beautiful, relatively unvisited site, it inevitably becomes overun with tourists in the years to come.

Mader is all-too aware of this dilemna, but hopes that education and a sense of responsibility will remain the philosophical underpinnings of eco-tourism.

"It's incumbent upon me as the author of this book to promote responsible environmental travel," Mader said. "Without doubt, if a park reaches its capacity of 80 people or whatever park authorities should close it. The idea is to keep the environment as it is which inspired its appeal in the first place."

Ron Mader's Mexico: Adventures in Nature, is currently in preparation, along with his other book, Honduras: Adventures in Nature. If you would like to share information or obtain it from Ron's web site, visit http://www.planeta.com.

Anthony Wright is a 35-year old Australian writer who has been living in Mexico City for five years. He can be reached via email at tonester13@hotmail.com. This article was published in the Mexico City Times, August 20, 1996, p. 19

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